Directions

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, and fry onions until tender.

Stir in garlic, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, salt, cayenne, and turmeric. Cook for 1 minute over medium heat, stirring constantly. Mix in garbanzo beans and their liquid. Continue to cook and stir until all ingredients are well blended and heated through. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro just before serving, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 06, 2005

Delicious - I'd have a couple of suggestions for some other reviewers. If this tastes bland or you feel it needs 4x the spices, you probably are using jarred spices that have been sitting in your cabinet since the Truman administration.
I think by and large crushing cinnamon sticks is a risky proposition - most cinnamon sticks in the US are for dipping in punch or decoration for some coffee drink - they are usually just awful. Ground coinnamon isn't perfect but a teaspoon will more than do.
I have been cooking from scratch for 20 years and have NEVER seen a fresh chickpea at any market. I assume that this reviewer meant canned as opposed to dry...I hope.
I never add the canned liquid from beans, it has some starch, but a quick blend with the immersion blender or mashing some of the garbanzo's against the side of the pan with a fork will thicken it up nicely and you don't risk the tinny flavour of the canned liquid....obviously add as much or as little liquid as you prefer.

Most Helpful Critical Review

Aug 28, 2003

I am a big indian food lover, I have tried so many dishes, and it seems almost impossible
for me to find an indian dish that I do not like, until now. I thought that this dish was
very poor, I threw it all out while it was still hot. Way too much cilantro for my taste.

Of the new recipes I try, my husband and I agree that I should repeat some of them, but with A. Rahman's Chickpea Curry, we both wanted it again the next day! I scaled the recipe (for which I'm now kicking myself) to 4, used 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon instead of crushing the stick, omitted the salt, added 2 cups of diced left over turkey, and 1/2 cup of vegetable broth (from a cube) to add extra sauce and replace the omitted salt. Served it over jasmine rice and called it a day. This (with or without my turkey addition) will become a regular menu offering in our house. Someone else wrote that it will satisfy your craving for curry- and they are totally right. Cheers!

I've already reviewed this recipe, but it's become such a favourite of mine that I had to review it again. The last time I made it I added a large can of diced tomatoes (drained) and doubled the spices- it was wonderful!! Plus, once you've got all the spices, it's the easiest thing to make! Yum!

Pretty good, and so easy. I usually let it simmer for forty minutes to
let the flavors blend, and served it over a bit of rice. For reference,
2/3rds a teaspoon of ground cinnamon is about equivalent to one 2-inch
cinnamon stick. Also, don't use the enormously large onions you find in
some supermarkets -- use normal medium-sized onions (or else you'll have
almost as much onion as chickpeas!).

This was very quick and so easy to make, and tasted very authentic. I added kale to the curry so it wouldn't have just chickpeas in it. Spinach would taste really great in this dish, too! This tasted even better the next day, and would be great eaten with Indian bread.

Good basic recipe for chickpeas or "cholay." You can also top with chopped tomatoes, onions, and green chiles, or diced boiled potatoes. For more flavor, try adding a teaspoon of tamarind pulp or paste and/or a teaspoon of an Indian spice mix called "chaat masala" just before finishing. To thicken the sauce, try potato flakes.

Wonderful side dish for an Indian-themed dinner! I followed the suggestions of other reviewers and drained the chickpeas while adding a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes, undrained. I also used ground cinnamon and ground cloves. Be sure to stir in the cilantro just before serving and to save some to sprinkle on top. The cayenne pepper made it spicy hot but not too much so- be adventurous and leave it in. Indian food has to have a nice bite to it! Serve some raita on the side to cool the palate if needed. Thanks for one of the best ways to cooking chickpeas I've experienced!

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.